LSU leaves former pros Wright and Harris off opening day roster

LSU did not place onetime pros Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris on its roster in advance of its season opener.

The move appears to avoid an immediate confrontation with the Southeastern Conference, which had passed a rule forbidding former pros on rosters only to see that rule put on hold by a court in Louisiana.

It means LSU will open its season against Clemson on Saturday night without Wright and Harris — each of whom spent time in NFL training camps this summer.

"That wasn't easy," coach Lane Kiffin said Saturday on ESPN's "College GameDay."

"As much as I feel for the players, and I believe that you fight for what you believe in, and I believe these kids have an opportunity to play just like all the other kids around the country that are winning court cases and being put on rosters.

"But at the same time, I'm the head coach of LSU, and I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program with the uncertainties of what potentially could have come by adding them to the roster. We couldn't get exact reasons or exact what that would mean if we added them. So with that, we made the decision which is in the best interest of the team and the university."

Both Wright and Harris have said they are enrolled at LSU, which means they could be eligible to be added to the roster later. Legal action is ongoing, with the SEC planning an appeal of the Louisiana ruling and also awaiting word on a federal lawsuit it filed Thursday asking the court to force LSU into following its rules banning pro athletes.

The roster decision marked the latest move in a bizarre, wide-ranging disagreement over something most people used to agree on: that players who had moved on to pro sports from college could not return to college.

Under the rules the SEC passed last week that were subsequently shut down by the Louisiana court, the league could suspend coach Lane Kiffin, fine LSU half its football budget and more if it puts Wright and Harris on the roster.

The case stems from a new NCAA rule that granted five seasons of eligibility for players who started college in 2023. Wright, Harris and dozens of others across the country who started in 2022 have filed lawsuits saying they also deserve a fifth year of eligibility.

Embedded within that argument is whether players among that class who tried out for NFL, NBA or WNBA teams should be able to come back to college and play.

"The SEC's presidents and chancellors unanimously adopted a clear and reasonable standard: Member universities should not place former professional athletes on their rosters," the conference said in a statement after Thursday night's loss in Louisiana court.

In its own statement Friday, LSU said it was reviewing the court's order and would "continue to work constructively with the SEC and NCAA as this matter moves forward."

Also chiming in was the College Football Playoff, which came out in support of the rules barring former pros from the college gridiron. It wasn't a surprising stance, considering virtually all of CFP management is made up of the same school leaders who adopted the rules.

Meanwhile, the LSU decision came hours after Clemson general counsel Chip Hood sent a letter to his LSU counterpart suggesting the eligibility issue is in conflict with the contract between the teams to play. Clemson still plans to show up, though its coach, Dabo Swinney, left little doubt over his feelings earlier in the week.

"I would just say it's kind of embarrassing," he said. "I mean, honestly, it's just embarrassing that that's where we are. I don't blame the kids and people trying to take advantage of the system. I just think it's embarrassing where we are with college football."

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here

Related topics